Tapestry Center for Autism

A campus providing independent living options and day programing (vocational, independent living and social skills training, habilitative services, as well as therapeutic recreational activities) for individuals with autism.

Tapestry Center Rendering

To view a rendering of the Tapestry Center for Autism building please click on the image below.

TAPESTRY CENTER FOR AUTISM

- As the rate of autism spectrum disorders has sky-rocketed in the U.S., it has become clear that there is a tremendous gap between the need for and availability of housing and meaningful activities for adults on the autism spectrum. In July of 2001 the Autism Society of America issued a Position Paper on the National Crisis in Adults Services for Individuals with Autism. Authored by Dr. Ruth Christ Sullivan and updated in May 2007, the paper summated:

“The critical shortage of services for adults with autism is a daily hardship for tens of thousands of families in the U.S. who struggle to provide a meaningful and productive life for their loved one who has aged-out of school. Since 1975 when the Education for All Handicapped Act (now Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, I.D.E.A.) mandated a free and appropriate education for children with disabilities, parents took for granted their child had a firm and congressionally mandated right to services. Many are stunned to learn that when their child leaves school, the mandate for services ceases. There is now a national crisis in services for adults with developmental disabilities, especially residential services, and especially for those with autism. The most critical issue is woefully inadequate funding. We cannot allow another generation of our adult children to go without the vital services that any humane society knows is necessary for a life of dignity and worth.”

OVERVIEW

- Our goal is to provide a campus with both supportive living options and day programming - to include vocational, independent living and social skills training, habilitative services, as well as therapeutic recreational activities - while providing ample opportunity to participate in the greater community. We will solicit and accept a variety of community volunteer activities in order to provide training opportunities for participants of our program.

We consider it essential to provide an individualized service plan (ISP) for each client in order to ensure the opportunity to reach their greatest personal potential.

RESIDENTIAL

- The residential component will consist of 60 efficiency-style apartments in groups of 6 that open to a common living and cooking area. Groups will be staffed by counselors who teach independent living skills such as housekeeping, personal hygiene, shopping, money management, and communication. These apartments will provide an alternative to living in an institution or parents’ residence, allowing our clients to exercise independence as adults.

DAY PROGRAMING

- Day programming will include social skills training, therapeutic recreation and job training activities, utilizing on-campus resources as well as those that exist in the Greater Rockford Area.

Our supported employment services program will allow adults with autism to obtain job training and work alongside non-disabled co-workers while under the supervision of job coaches, with the goal of achieving some level of independence. The experience will benefit individuals served through the program—as they cultivate personal independence, improve their self-esteem, and build self-confidence—as well as the business he/she serves by providing valuable skills and an increased awareness about autism spectrum disorders.

THE TAPESTRY OF LIFE’S JOURNEY

- Every one of us is a spiritual being, and perhaps no one knows this better than parents of children with autism who watch their children become adults. So many individuals with autism seem to "vibrate" at a frequency different from others because they are inherently gentle and exquisitely sensitive. They may more readily perceive all things seen and unseen. This may come through in a divine manner that is natural to young adults on the autism spectrum.

Now that child is an adult. They’re looking for integrity, respect, and harmony, and they need us to make our best effort on their behalf. We are a community of seekers and learners, our whole lives long. We will engage the community of Rockford on many levels: spiritual, intellectual, ethical, emotional and social so we may all be one within the tapestry of life.